Follow Me!

Boston Cream Pie Recipe

A total classic: Boston Cream Pie! Layers of moist vanilla cake, filled with a sweet vanilla custard and topped with dark chocolate glaze. Such a crowd-pleaser; you can’t go wrong when you serve this for dessert!

Father’s Day is right around the corner, and I always like to mark the occasion with desserts that my own dad loved.

And I have so many memories of him LOVING the Boston Cream Pies my mom would sometimes buy from the freezer section.

So I figured this year, it’s about time I honor him with a homemade, from-scratch version of one of his most beloved desserts.

WHAT IS BOSTON CREAM PIE?

Boston Cream Pie is actually a cake. I’m not sure how it got the name “pie,” when it is clearly a layer cake, lol! It’s made with moist vanilla cake layers, sandwiched around a rich vanilla pastry cream filling, and topped with a luscious dark chocolate glaze.

Whatever you call it, pie or cake, it’s seriously delish.

The custard filling melds with the sponge cake, making it seem even more moist and creamy.

And the dark, rich flavor of the chocolate glaze contrasts so beautifully with the sweet vanilla. It’s a balance of flavors like none other!

THE HISTORY OF BOSTON CREAM PIE

It was created by a French chef at the Parker House Hotel in Boston, Massachussetts, in the late 1800’s.

Originally, the cake layers were soaked in rum, and the sides of the cake were garnished with toasted almonds.

But for today’s recipe, I’ve kept things simple. I think this is more what most of us think of when we hear “Boston Cream Pie,” and I know it’s the way my dad most enjoyed it.

CAN YOU MAKE BOSTON CREAM PIE AHEAD?

You can make all the components of this Boston Cream Pie ahead.

The cake layers are adapted from my favorite vanilla cake recipe. It’s moist and soft, with a buttery flavor and a delicate texture, and it can be baked up to a few weeks ahead. You can read more about that here: Perfect Vanilla Cake Recipe.

The filling is similar to vanilla pudding, but richer. It’s made with egg yolks, milk, vanilla, and cornstarch to help thicken it up. I would definitely recommend making it at least a day ahead, so it has time to chill. You can learn more here: Pastry Cream Filling.

The glaze can be made ahead as well. You can find more info on that here: Chocolate Glaze. It’s just 4 simple ingredients, warmed and stirred together until smooth. As it cools, it gets very thick, but it can be re-warmed and drizzled over the Boston Cream Pie after it’s assembled.

Don’t ask me how I know, but I would definitely recommend waiting as long as you can to assemble the cake. If you put it together too far ahead, the exposed filling around the sides will become dry and cracked. Still delicious inside, but not nearly as appetizing to look at!

CAN BOSTON CREAM PIE BE MADE GLUTEN-FREE?

Yes! If you’d like to make a gluten-free Boston Cream Pie, just substitute both flours for a gluten-free flour blend. Look for one that subs 1 for 1 (in other words, 1 cup of gluten-free flour is equivalent to 1 cup of all-purpose flour). Here are some good options:

If you have a Boston Cream Pie lover in your life, definitely bake them up this recipe! The cake is so soft and light, the filling so cool and creamy, and the chocolate glaze so rich and flavorful. Everything is so much better when it’s made from scratch, and this Boston Cream Pie is certainly no exception!

A total classic: Boston Cream Pie! Layers of moist vanilla cake, filled with a sweet vanilla custard and topped with dark chocolate glaze. Such a crowd-pleaser; you can't go wrong when you serve this for dessert!

Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.

Add the yogurt, milk, and vanilla.

Mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, to aerate the batter and build the cake's structure.

Divide the batter equally between the prepared pans, and bake for 22 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Cool completely before filling and glazing.

To make the Pastry Cream filling:

Place the yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.

Heat the milk in a small pot until small bubbles form around the edge, and wisps of steam are rising from the surface.

Add the hot milk to the egg mixture, a little at a time, whisking to combine. When all the milk has been added, transfer the mixture back to the pot and place over medium-low heat.

Cook the pastry cream, whisking, until thickened.

Stir in the vanilla, and pour the pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer, into a heat-safe bowl. Use the back of a ladle to press the mixture through the sieve.

Press a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

To make the Chocolate Glaze:

Heat the cream in a small pot over medium low heat, until simmering.

Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate (or chips).

Whisk in the the corn syrup and vanilla until smooth.

Drizzle while warm.

To assemble the Boston Cream Pie:

Place one (fully cooled) Vanilla Cake layer on a serving plate.

Spread the Pastry Cream filling all over the cake in an even layer.

Top with the remaining Vanilla Cake layer, and drizzle with Chocolate Glaze.

Serve immediately.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

* Learn more about cake flour here: Why Use Cake Flour? ** If you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute by stirring 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice into 2/3 cup of regular milk. Allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes, or until thickened and slightly curdled.

Hey Leelavessa! I’m afraid the recipe must be made as written. You won’t get the same result if you don’t use the right amount of eggs.

This is the first time ever that I have commented on a recipe. I can’t say how many recipes out there are not accurate. I like to cook new things I always follow someone’s recipe the first time, then tweak it. If want to try something new. Usually the picture is beautiful, the recipe results, not so good. This however is amazing! It is the best homemade cake I have ever tried. Even had the expensive $150+ cakes from exclusive bakeries. They are not even close to this. This cake is stunning when it is done. Baked beautifully. The cake itself is so moist, tender, and delicious. The perfect balance of ingredients. I will use this recipe forever. The pastry cream is also the best I have ever made. Kudos to you! This is amazing, and like I said this is the first time ever I have left a comment! This is going to be the best birthday cake ever.

Wow Cathea! Thank you so much for the amazing feedback! I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the cake. Happy birthday!

I only have raw sugar, not granulated. Is this a deal breaker?

Thanks!

Hi Eleanor! I have never tried making it with raw sugar so I can’t say for sure. I know that raw sugar is less processed so it has a little more of a molasses flavor. And the crystals tend to be larger. You can give it a try! As long as it dissolves properly I think it should work in terms of sweetness. Good luck!

Regarding the glaze, the flavor was lovely, but I would prefer it to be a little thicker next time. Would I reduce the heavy cream or the corn syrup to achieve that consistency?

Hey Janice! Did you pour the glaze while it was warm or allow it to cool first?

I allowed the glaze to cool because it was too thin but it still ran down the sides too much and puddled on the plate, which was unattractive. If it were a bit thicker, it would be easier to control. Better to reduce cream or corn syrup or both?

Thanks so much for getting back to me. This really helps me to understand how I can make things better. I would probably suggest keeping the corn syrup the same, but maybe decreasing the heavy cream slightly.

If this individual is indeed a current or former pastry chef, her directions for the cake hide it well. I followed the directions precisely. The eggs will not full incorporate into the butter and flour mixture, as the flour to moisture ratio is just too great; instead, you end up with tiny lumps of egg yolk, that cannot be eliminated even with the addition of the milk and sour cream, thus producing less than the desired airy tender cake layers. I suggest creaming butter and sugar together, and then alternating wet and dry ingredients; this WILL produce an airy tender crumb.

Hello Jennifer! Just FYI, I am a real person. You are commenting on the post I wrote, on the website I own, so you are speaking directly to me just as if you had sent me a DM or an email. You don’t have to address me as “this individual.” My name is Allie, as I’m sure you saw when you read that I am a former pastry chef. I am pleased to meet you.

As for the recipe, it does indeed work, as you will note when you read the comments on this post as well as the standalone cake recipe linked in the head notes. As of right now, that vanilla cake recipe has 70 comments on it and they are overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Just to educate you a bit on the technique, it is known as the “reverse creaming method.” It was popularized by Rose Levy Berenbaum, who authored The Cake Bible. There are loads of articles on the internet about this method; just give it a google and you will see nearly 100k results.

The reason why your eggs wouldn’t incorporate into the dry mixture is that they weren’t beaten in one at a time. Next time, be sure to note step number four: “Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.” If the eggs are added all at once, then you will have a lumpy batter that will only become lumpier when the liquids are added.